and ongoing. To build or lease a facility that can accommodate a laboratory with it’s own isolated and highly purified air supply is paramount to ensuring success rates are industry best. Knowing the costs involved in establishing and running a unit certainly raises some questions about what compromises may be need to be made to run a financially viable unit on Medicare rebates alone. Does one “cherry-pick” the simplest cases which require the least technology and time and exclude the complex cases requiring high level technology who may benefit most from this area of medicine? Does one compromise on staffing levels, or rates of pay, or perhaps accept those lesser qualified who accept lower rates of pay? Does one limit the length of medical consultations or employ doctors who are less experienced, less qualified or work to an algorithm rather than those with the education level and experience to think broadly and laterally to tackle the challenging clinical scenarios which frequently present? The future of Medicare funding creates more unknowns for the future of the industry generally with a greater degree of vulnerability placed on a Bulk Billing model of care. We all know that the only reason there is a “gap” between Women ’s Health www.drgaryswift.com.au Suite 4, Level 1 Pindara Place 13 Carrara Street, Benowa, 4217 Ph: (07) 5564 6017 Fax: (07) 5564 7940 Medicare rebates and standard AMA medical fees is that successive governments have failed to apply CPI increases to medical services. An increasing shortfall will place more economic stress on a cut-price model and put more pressure to compromise. The concern also is the ultra-low cost models have not been subject to scrutiny and will likely need to be in existence and funded by tax payers through Medicare for a significant length of time before anyone gets to analyse the success rates and critically assess the operational issues. As a senior clinician and founding partner at QFG Gold Coast, I personally believe the commitment to an IVF unit of the highest quality, capable of dealing with the full range of fertility disorders and producing industry best success rates justifies the term “full service”. With a cost structure reflective of the level of service, expertise and success which every couple dealing with fertility difficulties deserves will remain our primary focus. pm Dr Gary Swift MBBS FRANZCOG MReprodMed Senior Specialist QFG Gold Coast Leading Specialist in Reproductive Medicine Fertility IVF Laparoscopic Surgery Gynaecology Obstetrics Dr Gary Swift MBBS (QLD) FRANZCOG, MReprodMed (UNSW) Leading Specialist in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Three
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